Kix Brooks Unveils Ambush at Dark Canyon

Kix Brooks is known by many names — singer, songwriter, radio host and winemaker. Now he’s exploring his acting skills again with a brand new film, a Western titled Ambush at Dark Canyon.

On Wednesday (Jan. 29), I had the chance to see the movie during a Nashville screening with Brooks and several industry friends and family. I’m partial to Westerns myself (thanks, Dad!), but let me impartially state that the film did not disappoint me or anyone else in the audience.

Brooks stars as U.S. Marshal Duke Donovan, the good guy who lands in prison after being labeled an accomplice in a bank robbery. Of course, there are complications. While he’s behind bars, he learns that harm is headed for his beautiful wife back home — and it may be at the hands of someone he once trusted. The plot thickens!

There were moments of vigilante justice, tender yet tense conversations and intense grief, too. Brooks pulled off each of these moments like the professional we know he is. And although he did study acting in college at Louisiana Tech University, he admitted he was nervous about the process of going in to shoot the film. But his L.A. cast members not only gave him the chance to shine but the encouragement he needed, as well.

“That first day on the set, I know it was like, ’Here comes the hillbilly singer wanting to be the actor,'” Brooks joked to the audience at the screening. “And I think they realized I really worked hard and did my homework and got into shape and took this real seriously. After that, the first couple of days, I got the feeling from them that they knew that. And they made me feel like an actor and gave me the confidence to get through this whole movie.”

Brooks admits, “It was quite an undertaking, I tried not to get too far gone.”

And he didn’t. He was right on the money. The film co-stars Ernie Hudson as Cyrus Parker, Donovan’s ally and partner in justice, and also features appearances by country star Randy Houser. Look for the DVD and the soundtrack, which features Brooks and Houser, exclusively at Walmart now, and all retailers on March 11.